1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to the field of authentication. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to a second factor used for authentication.
2. Description of the Related Art
Authentication is the process of determining whether someone or something is, in fact, who or what it is declared to be. In private and public computer networks (including the Internet), authentication is commonly done through the use of logon passwords. Knowledge of the password is assumed to guarantee that the user is authentic. Each user registers initially using an assigned or self-declared password. On each subsequent use, the user must know and use the previously declared password. The password is considered a first factor, because it is something the user knows that presumptively no one else knows.
Since passwords are vulnerable to clever hackers, more security can be provided by adding a second factor to the authentication. The second factor is generally something the user has (as opposed to something the user knows). Common second factors are credit cards, smart keys, and other similar objects. A second factor containing only one piece of information is relatively vulnerable. What is needed is a second factor containing information that can be generated systematically and verified efficiently while not consuming excessive memory at the authentication authority.